Rail anticreeper



Mar; 6', 1923. Y 1,447,406

l E. B. BETTS 'Org'il Filed May 9, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

parte eric.

BENJAMIN B. BETTS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSUR.

RAIL ANTICREEPER.

Application filed May 9, 1921, Serial No. 467,787. Renewed January 20, 1923.

To a-ZZ whom it may o0/acera.' l

`lle 1t known that l, BnNJnMrN B. Bn'r'rs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of St. `Louis and State of Mis' souri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements, in Rail Antic'reepers, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvementsin rail anti-Creepers and `has for its primary ob ject an anti-Creeper which iS adapted to be attached to the base flanges of the rail, by means of a key, the lockingeffect of the key being such as not to be disturbed by the movement or creeping of the rail in either direction.

Ae' further object is to construct an'anticreeper for railway rails in which the key for locking the device to the rail is capable of being removed, which will at the same time tend to secure the anti-Creeper to the base flanges of the rail more securely in the event of the rail creeping in either direction.

A still further object is to construct an anti-Creeper for a railway rail which can be readily attached and which is locked in place by means of a key formed of either spring material or material capable of being bent and which key can be readily removed when it is desired to remove the anti-creeper from the rail.

ln the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a rail and tie with my anti-Creeper in position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 an enlarged section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, viewing the same in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. l a cross section of a rail with my device attached thereto.

F ig. 5 a top plan view of my device with the key removed.

Fig. 6 a cross sectional vieW of my device, showing the rail in position and before the key is inserted.

Fig. 7 a top plan view of the key made use of.

Fig. 8 a side elevation of the same.

ln the construction of my device, 9 represents a railway tie or sleeper to which is secured a rail having the ball 10, the web 11 and base flanges 12 and 13.Y This rail is secured'to the tie by means of the spikes 14C.

Secured to the base flanges of the rail is my improved anti-Creeper which includes the base portion 15. This base portion is provided on one end with the jaw 16. This jaw 1s so shaped as to embrace a portion of the iiange 12 but leaving the open portion 17, the purpose of which open portion will be explained in detail later. Tn order to prevent breakage of the jaw 16 when the same is secured to the base flange 12, I provide ribs 18. The opposite end of the base 15 is provided with an upwardly projecting portion 19 a portion of which is tapered as at 20, the remaining portion 21 being approximately vertical. This is for the purpose of allowing the insertion of the rail, the edge of the base Harige 13 first contacting with the inclined portion 20. The base 15 is then raised by means of a cro-wbar or similar instrument which causes the edge of the flange 13 to ride downward and come in contact with the edge 21. The base of the rail now rests upon the face 22 of the base 15. This action causes the jaw 16 to securely grip the flange 12. Through the projection 19 is formed an opening 23, its surface 24 being parallel to the face 22 of the base and at a point sufficiently high therefrom to just clear the outer edge of the base flange 13. Formed integral with the projection 19 and base 15 are stiffening ribs 25 which prevent the projection 19 from becoming broken when the key is inserted. Formed integral with these ribs25 is a pocket 26 having the sloping wall 27 and a wall 28 which wall is approximately vertical. The wall 28 is provided with the cutaway portion 29 and the wall 27 with the opening 30. The opening 30 prevents any lodgment of moisture within the pocket 26. The upper edge of the wall 28 terminates in the same horizontal plane with the face 21. Formed integral with the base 15 and projecting to one side thereof is an abutment `plate 31 which is designed to rest against the side of the tie (see Fig. 2). This abutment plate is properly reinforced by means of ribs so as to prevent the breaking in the event the rails creep and force the abutment plate against the tie. 1n order to secure my device to a rail I make use of the key 32. This key has an integral rib 33 formed approximately midway its length. lts one end being provided with a head 34C the portion between the rib 33 and head 34 is somewhat thinner than the portion on the other side of the rib 33. This reduced portio'n is for the purpose of allowing the key to be readily bent for locking the same against withdrawal from the opening .30. This key is preferably constructed of spring material, although if found desirable it may be made of any material that will stand bending without a fracture. In securing my device to the base flanges of the rail, the jaw 16 is first hooked over one of the base flanges, the device then raised so that the opposite base flange will contact with the inclined face 20 of the projection 19. A crowbar or other suitable tool is then used to force the base 15 upward, so that the base flange 13 will be brought down and its edge rest against the shoulder or wall 21. The key 32 is then inserted in the opening 23 and driven forward until the rib 33 contactswith the' outer face of the projection 19. This causes the key to ride upward on the flange 13 and securely holdv the anti-Creeper to the rail. When the key has thus been driven in, the head 34 is struck a downward blow, thus forcing it into the pocket 26, which will allow the outer end of the head to rest against the inner edge of the pocket and prevent accidental removal of the key. In the event of the creeping of the rail, the abutment plate 31 resting against the tie 9, will have a tendency to twist the anti-Creeper on the rail. This twisting tendency will force the flange 12 farther into the jaw 16 and into the open place 17, which being tapered as illustrated in Figa, will tend to grip the flange all the tighter. The same twisting will also have the tendency to cause the key 32 to bite more securely on the flange 13 and thus hold the rail against movement. When it is desired to remove the anti-Creeper, it is only necessary to insert a spike or large nail in the cutaway portion 29 and beneath the key 32 and by driving this spike or nail into the opening the portion of the key 32 which has been bent downward is forced up sufhciently far to clear the upper edge of the wall 28. The key can then be driven out and the anticreeper devices removed from the rail, this removal being necessary at times for readjustment of the anti-Creeper or forthe removal of the rail. It will be seen that by the use of my device the anti-Creeper is held securely against the rail no matter in which direction the rail may creep, as the locked key is driven in from the end of the device and not from the sides.

It is obvious if desired that I may eliminate the jaw 16 entirely and provide a projection and pocketsimilar to the projection 19 and pocket adjacent thereto on the other end of the base 15 without departing from the spirit of'my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A rail anti-creeper comprising a base, a jaw formed integral therewith, a projec- 2. A rail anti-creeper comprising a rail y having base flanges, a rigid base having a jaw to grip one of said flanges, aprojection having an opening formed integral with said base and adapted to contact with the opposite flange, a resilient key adapted to be inserted through said opening for locking said base to said rail, means for securing said key against accidental removal, means to permit the removal of said key and an abutment plate formed integral with said base, said abutment plate adapted to contact with a tie to which the rail is secured to prevent its creeping.

3. A rail anti-creeper comprising a base, a projection having an inner inclined wall formed on one end of said base, said projection being provided with an opening eX- tending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said base, said projection being provided with a pocket, and a bendable key provided with a head and a rib adapted to be inserted through said opening and be seated in said pocket.

4f. A rail anti-creeper comprising a base answering as a rail receiving seat, a jaw formed on one end of said base, a projection formed on the opposite end of said base, said projection being provided with an inner inclined wall and an opening having a bottom wall positioned above and parallel with the rail receiving seat, a bendable key adapted to be inserted a predetermined distance through said opening, and means carried by the base to prevent the accidental removal of said key. v

5. A rail antincreeper comprising a base, a jaw formed on one end of said base, a projection formed adjacent the opposite end lof said base and provided withan opening,

said jaw and projection being positioned on the longitudinal axis of said base, an abutment plate carried by one end of the base, and a bendable key adapted to be inserted through the opening formed in the projection a pre-determined distance, said base being provided with a pocket adjacent said projection adapted to receive said key and prevent` accidental displacement.

(i. A rail. anti-creeper, comprising Va rigid base, a jaw formed integral therewith, a projection having a horizontal opening formed on said base, and a bendable key adapted to be inserted through said opening and held against accidental removal for securing said anti-Creeper to a rail.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. i

BENJAMIN B. BETTS. 

